How to show your home during the pandemic

However, where there is challenge, there is also innovation and excitement. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and while you might have struggled with lockdowns and travel bans, there is no need to put a pause on your plans to move. While social distancing might have made it difficult to host or attend in person home viewings, let alone open houses, there are vibrant new ways of connecting buyers with homes they will love.

The real estate industry has tackled the difficulties associated with Covid-19 head on, introducing a range of remote options for buyers and sellers. Read on to discover more about how you can make these changes work for you when selling your own home.

The rise of virtual tours

You may have heard of virtual tours before when it comes to house viewing. In the past they have been utilised by real estate agents, but not as the main focal point of selling a home. In fact, a virtual tour was more likely to be in addition to an in person tour, or used when potential buyers were overseas or across the country and unable to visit a property in person.

However, with the advent of the pandemic, virtual tours became the main way in which real estate agents could continue to show homes without any health concerns for anyone involved. Since in person home viewings have waned in popularity during this time, and auctions were paused due to the same worries, if you are looking to buy a property now, virtual touring is likely to be the first option offered to you.

While virtual tours have, as we mentioned, always been used, they have never been as popular as an open house or an in person viewing. But now, an agent guiding you around a home remotely is becoming the new normal, allowing agents to reach buyers without risk.

What are my options?

Like with anything, when it comes to virtual tours there is no one size fits all option. The best way to showcase your property could be through your real estate agent video calling potential buyers using FaceTime or a similar video calling app, so they can guide a buyer this way. This is a great option, as it allows real estate agents to focus on specific buyers, and answer their questions on the spot, or allow them to revisit certain areas of the home that pique their interest.

Another arm of the virtual viewing tree is virtual open houses. Traditional, in person open houses have long been a highly popular choice for real estate agents, as they allow many viewings to happen simultaneously and are not as structured as one on one viewings, with less pressure on prospective buyers.

Now, Zoom and other video conferencing software are being used to recreate the open house environment virtually. In this way, several interested parties can view the property at once, which is more convenient for you as a seller (less time spent outside of your home), and for the real estate agent.

A third option, which is complementary with either of the first two, is 3D tours. This can be an expensive choice and is usually utilised for higher value properties. A 3D camera is used to show potential buyers the property from a range of angles, giving them a more precise idea of its scale and shape.

Staging your home

You will already know about staging your home. This means removing those personal items that make your house a home and providing a more “blank canvas” look with some neutral ornamentation. It might even involve moving furniture to improve the flow of your home. This helps buyers to envision themselves in the property, and focus on the property rather than your decorative flair.

It is tempting to think that this is not necessary with virtual viewings. However, you should still make your home as neutral as possible - but you might just get some tech-savvy help. Virtual staging allows your real estate agent, using specialist software, to “decorate” your home in a number of different ways, from paint colour and decor to more intricate details. This allows your home to be completely reimagined and is far cheaper than the traditional staging option, which is even less financially viable if no one is visiting in person.

The perfect buyer

As these virtual tools are used more and more frequently, you may be wondering if they are really as good as “the old fashioned way” for selling your house. The short answer is that virtual tours can take you so far. Open houses are, for now, not really possible or comfortable, so a virtual version is a vital component of your house selling journey. They allow your house to be widely advertised and widely seen.

However, if a potential buyer is serious about purchasing your property, they will most likely want to see it in person before they make their offer. It is fair to say that if someone does ask to view your property like this, they are interested and not just viewing it on the off chance of it being a good fit for them.

In this case, you will need to follow all the Covid-19 safety protocols such as social distancing, wiping down surfaces, providing hand sanitiser and masks. This will keep everyone safe and allow you to let your house shine in its best light.

While selling a property during this time might feel like a stressful challenge, these virtual options have made the entire process so much easier. While there is unlikely to be a full shift towards virtual viewings, for now, these provide an excellent way to connect with truly interested buyers.

Are you looking to sell your property but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with Sparrow Real Estate. Based in Brisbane, we can help you to get your property marketed, seen, and sold, so you can go on to your next adventure as soon as possible.